Jetty construction



June 11, 1929. v 1 B. SMITH 1,716,509

JETTY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug; 24, 1925 A TT ORNE Patented June l1, 1929.

UNlTED STATES LLOYD B, SMITH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

JETTY CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed August 24, 1925. Serial No. 51,956.

It is the object of my invention to provide a jetty construction which will be effective to catch the dritt on small rises and low sti-eaiii-velocities as u'ellas on high rises and greater stream-velocities, and tov catch the dritt under both sets of conditions more effectively; and at the same time to provide a jetty construction which is sturdy and stable under all conditions encountered.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a series of spaced jetty-units or supports, and interconnect them to take care of the dritt. This interconnection involves a lower part of woven wire, which is of relatively small mesh as'compared with the. distances between the jetties and between other wires later to be described, and which extends upward only part way along the jetty units; and desirably also involves an upper part, say from about the middle of the jetty-units upward, consisting of a plurality ot tension members, such as spaced wires. The woven vire interconnecting the lower parts of the jetty units serves to catch the small dritt, on tall rises and low velocities of the stream; but this woven wire is overtlowed on high rises, where there are greater velocities, and then the interconnecting wires joining the upper parts ot the jetty units come into action, especially to catch the larger drift.

In this way, I am able to utilize both the smaller rises and the larger rises for building up sand bars where desired.

The. accou'ipanying drawing illustrates my invention: F ig. l is a section through a jetty unit supporting interconnecting members in accordance with my invention, the section being taken substantially transverse to the series of jetty units; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a series oit jetty units interconnected in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 3 is a plan oit a fragment of a stream, with a series ot jetty units interconnected in accordance with my invention and placed in the stream in a desired position to cause the formation of a sand-bar.

The jetty units which are to be interconnected in accordance with my invention may take any desired form, but I find it convenient to use individually stable jetty units of the type shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 30,762, liled May 16, 1925. Those jetty units comprise a central block l0 of concrete, shown as being substantially cubical in form, from the corners of which project arms l1 substantially on the diagonals of a cube. This precise cubical formation is not at all essential, and is used merely to simplify the description. The precise manner of embedding rthe arms 1l in the central concrete block l0 constitutes no part of the present invention, and is not material to the present invention; for other types of jetty units may be used it' desired. In this particular type of jetty unit shown, the four lower arms ll constitute supporting legs which rest on thel bottom of the stream, while the other four arms project obliquely upward in various directions above the stream. The number of arms of the jetty units may vary as desired, and it is not essential that any precise number beused.

A series of these or. other jetty units is arranged in any desired line, usually a straight line though not necessarily so, as is indicated in both Figs. 2 and 3. The line of jetty units may be at any desired location in the stream, according to where it -is desired to form a sandbar. A woven-wire screen l5 is mounted on some of the lower arms 1l, extending upward from the ground toward or to the central concrete block 10. Thisl wire is thus of materially less height than the jetty units themselves, and desirably Vdoes not extendv quite half the height of such jetty units. As shown, the wire screen 15 is oblique to the bottom of the stream, which is convenient because of the obliqueness of the supporting arms 1l on which such screen rests; and while this is desirable, Yit vis not essential. Then the screen l5 is oblique, I desire that its lower edge be 'further upstream than itsv upper end, as isclear from F l and 2; as this seems to work best for the formation of a sand-bar without causing tilting or other displacement of the etty.

It' desired, this woven-wire screen 15 eX- Atending upward on the jetty units for only` part of their height may be the only interconnection between the jetty units. However, it is ordinarily desirable to provide other connections vbetween the jetty units. Such other connections may be provided by a series of wires or wire strands 16, extending from one unit to another. One or more of the wire strands 16 may join the concrete blocks l0 of the several units, as by being embedded in the series of concrete blocks 10 in the formation of the jetty units. There may also be wire strands 16 which interconnect some of the upwardly extending arms 11 of the jetty units, as is clear from Figs. 1 and 2. This forms a series of interconnecting strands; which are shown as being in a plane oblique to the bed of the stream, in the same way that the` woven-wire screen 15 is oblique to the bed of the stream. This obliqueness, however, is not essential. When such obliqueness is provided, I desirably form it with the upper strand 16 farther downstream than are the lower strands; as this promotes stability.

Inoperationfthe jetty units with their interconnecting wire-screens 15 and wire strands 16 are placed in the desired position in the stream. There are continually small rises and falls in the stream level throughout the year, with corresponding changes in stream velocity. Then these small rises occur, with slight increases in velocity, there results a small drift of the sand, leaves, small sticks, etc. That is, a small rise and small increase in velocity usually starts the sand on the bed .of the stream` to moving slightly, while remaining near the bottom of the stream. With merely the jetty units themselves, without the interconnecting wire screen 15, this small'drift on slight rises of the stream would not be utilized to cause any formation of a sand-bar; because there would be substantially no eifect on the stream by the jetty units themselves when the rise is so small. However, when the stream with its slightly increased velocity strikes the wire screen 15, and is in consequence slowed down with some eddying, there results a deposit of sand on the bed of the stream. Usually this is in the main on the downstream lside of the screen 15; though not always completely so. The screen itself catches small sticks and leaves and `small floating drift, and they assist in forming the sand-bar. j

7h-en there is a high rise, as following spring rains or any other heavy waterfall, vthe surface of the stream rises above the top of the screenl 15, and may even overflow the top of the jetty units. Then the jetty units themselves and their interconnecting wire strands 16 serve to catch the larger drift, which co-operates with the jetty units and the strands to slow up the stream velocity and cause a depositing of the sand which is carried by the high-velocity stream. The spacing between the wire strands 16, however, permits a sufficiently free passage between them to avoid causing tipping of the jetty units; such as tends to occur if the wire screen 1,5 extends upward to the top of the jetty units, or even materially above the centers of such units.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a series of individually stable jetty units, and wire screens interconnecting said series of units and extending upwardon said units ,only part way of the height thereof.

2. In combination, a plurality of individually stable jetty units, and wire screens interconnecting said units and extending upward on said units from a ground line to a point not higher than midway of such units.

3. In combination, a plurality of jetty units, wire screen interconnecting the lower parts of said units, and spaced strands of wire interconnecting the upper parts of said units. y

f1. In combination, a plurality of individually stable jetty units, and interconnections between said'jetty units at both their upper and lower parts, the interconnections providing spaces between them with the interconnections between the lower parts of said units providing smaller spaces than do the interconnections between the upper part of said jetty units.

In combination, a plurality of jetty units, and means interconnecting said jetty units, said interconnecting means being arranged in a plane oblique to the vertical and with the upper edge thereof farther ldownstream than the lower edge thereof,

the lower part of said interconnecting means being provided with small spaces and the upper part thereof with large spaces.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Topeka, Kansas, this 19th day of August, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty live.

LLOYD B. SMITH` 

